This little poodle started yapping at me once when I was overtaking it and its owner on a road(they were walking). The guy was very embarassed and kept hushing the poodle to keep quiet, but it just couldn’t stop. Also, when the poodle saw me coming towards them, before it started yapping, it had this deeply shocked expression on its muzzle, as if I just explicitly stomped most of its notions of how the universe works. I hope it’s okay now.
I think the unicycle freaks them out because it doesn’t make and sound as you move.
My experience is much more benign. I have been riding a loop about 4 times a week on my Coker. I actually look forward to the attack dog that I encounter. It’s a team of 2 dogs actually. As I approach the house the “scout” who’s chained to his doghouse sounds the alarm. The viscious attack portion of the team sets me in his sites and bides his time for the perfect trajectory to pursue and devour his prey. By now I know their game. I drop back to 7 or 8 MPH, eyes squinted ready for battle. The chained scout now bellowing that the frey is begun, the assault portion bunched muscles ready to launch. A terrifying growling begins as he careens towards me. I grit my teeth and pick my line, waiting to see the yellow of my enemies eyes before I make my move. Like a slow moving torpedo of foaming growls and teeth, the distance closes. A knowing grin of a confident warrior moves onto my face. Fortunately for me this destructive force plummeting my way was cursed by God with short legs, and can only run 9-10 MPH. Not only that, but bad timing. Were he to lead me he might have a chance of aquiring his prey. But… you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This same scenerio has played out at least 50 times, and still his timing is the same. As he runs straight for me I bait him, pedaling just below his top speed. I let him almost latch into my tire, swerve and accelerate just ahead of him. I give him a morsel of hope allowing him to close in almost catching me. I lead him up the road as far as possible, trying my best to leave him panting and choaking in exhaustion.
Another battle won, Coker 51 - Dog 0.
Re: attacked by dogs
sounds like an epic battle between good and evil… althougth i’m sure
you’re a mighty warrior, but what kind or diminutive toy dog are you
afraid of that can only muster a flat out 10MPH are you sure its a dog
and not a hedgehog with a fur coat?
andy
oh and yes i did have to use a spell checker on diminutive 
pdc wrote:
> My experience is much more benign. I have been riding a loop about 4
> times a week on my Coker. I actually look forward to the attack dog
> that I encounter. It’s a team of 2 dogs actually. As I approach the
> house the “scout” who’s chained to his doghouse sounds the alarm. The
> viscious attack portion of the team sets me in his sites and bides his
> time for the perfect trajectory to pursue and devour his prey. By now I
> know their game. I drop back to 7 or 8 MPH, eyes squinted ready for
> battle. The chained scout now bellowing that the frey is begun, the
> assault portion bunched muscles ready to launch. A terrifying growling
> begins as he careens towards me. I grit my teeth and pick my line,
> waiting to see the yellow of my enemies eyes before I make my move.
> Like a slow moving torpedo of foaming growls and teeth, the distance
> closes. A knowing grin of a confident warrior moves onto my face.
> Fortunately for me this destructive force plummeting my way was cursed
> by God with short legs, and can only run 9-10 MPH. Not only that, but
> bad timing. Were he to lead me he might have a chance of aquiring his
> prey. But… you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This same scenerio
> has played out at least 50 times, and still his timing is the same. As
> he runs straight for me I bait him, pedaling just below his top speed.
> I let him almost latch into my tire, swerve and accelerate just ahead
> of him. I give him a morsel of hope allowing him to close in almost
> catching me. I lead him up the road as far as possible, trying my best
> to leave him panting and choaking in exhaustion.
>
> Another battle won, Coker 51 - Dog 0.
>
>
> –
> pdc
>
> “What doesn’t kill you strengthens you, what kills you strengthens your
> mother”
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> pdc’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/8160
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/52098
The Silent Service;)
It’s not only dogs too. This cat was really staring at me the other day.
You should have just gone to the wrong Shelby Farms like I did 
skunks too!
Crazy skunks too! My twilight ride two nights ago had to be cut a bit short due to a skunk camping out in the middle of the bike path… At least I had plenty of smell warning. Crazy critter probably didn’t hear me at all, unicycle is really quiet.
The twilight unicyclist has to be really careful - two wheelers can’t hear me, and often don’t see me until there is almost a collision. I do carry a light but I rather not use it.
It is worth the danger to experience awesome sunsets over Lake Champlain, then encroaching darkness with a cloud of bats flying all around you, as you roll down the path at a smooth pace. It’s great having bats so close you can clearly see their wings and bodies, sometimes flying inches away from my face. What magnificent creatures! Batman!
Her reaction was like “oh no, not again”. She came out of the house and walked right past me to start rounding up the (now 3) dogs which by this time were retreating to the safety of their fenced back yard. I am sure that by the time the woman got to the backyard, the dogs were sitting there, happily wagging their tails and looking real innocent.
I did not stay around on the porch to chat. I started walking back to the scene of the crime so I could resume my uni ride. I turned around and looked back. The husband had come out of the house and he did at least call to me to inquire if I was injured. I replied that one of his dogs almost took a chunk out of me and then I kept going.
Now it was time to resume my ride. I was shaking so bad that I was concerned about whether or not I would be able to mount my unicycle. Afterall, the guy was probably watching to see how I got on the thing. 
I nailed the freemount and rode off down the street but my evening ride was ruined.
the reason dogs and stuff bark at a (uni-or bi-)cyclist, is because they do not realize the shape as human. my dog doesn’t bark at me he just stares.
My only time with bad dogs was all on the same weekend a couple Christmases ago. I think part of the reason for the problems that weekend was I was in a rural area where more dogs are off-leash or not fenced.
I have had no trouble since either but most of my riding is urban where there are strict leash laws or fenced yards. I sometimes let my lab run loose on off-road rides, she is not bothered by other bikes or unicycles.
In my pre-driving bicycle days there were a couple neighborhood dogs that would chase and nip, I rode with boots so my foot often went down their mouth to discourage their behavior. Can’t do that well on a uni unless you can one-foot really good.
I think it’s fair that if there is any question whether the aggressive behavior will lead to a bite, a dismount and pre-emptive strike is in order.
man if i was attacked by dogs woulda goten off and started running.
Yes, because moving at a slower speed would help.
huh? i know i can run at a sprint faster than when i ride my uni.
But that would mean that you’d have to leave your uni behind, wouldn’t it?
I’d probably try to climb a fence or fight them off with my uni if I couldn’t find one. I’m kinda afraid of dogs sometimes.
thats very freaky
it sound as if many of you have the same problems as i have always have. I have lived with dogs all my life and have never lived in a house without one, but as soon i began to ride a unicycle evrydog dog i passed in the street or saw at home barked at me when i’m riding it. i think it must be because they dont understand it becuse it is a completley different shape, i dunno but its wierd.
James (any bristol, england unicyclists out there?)
Must explain why I get attacked everytime I go riding, I live in a very Rural area where most people have Gaurd dogs that they feal locking up to be optional…I have had a tire poped from a pitbul trying to get to my leg, I have several times used my muni as a bat…I think I once gave a dog a small cuncusion when I finally had to actually hit one with my uni nailing him across the head with my Jimmy C. But hay I got out unharmed…I have found my best Dog defending method is one foot riding…BOOT TO DA HEAD! You give them a swift kick with a loud NO and you never stop riding…Thats how I roll lol. I know it may sound cruel but get bit as many times as I have by gaurd dogs who think unicycles should not be on streets 5 miles near there dog house!
Edit: Ohh and zfreak…Nice sig 
Dogs
Never had a problem with dogs while riding my unis (other than incessant barking) but I had problems when riding my scooter (a 1946 Cushman Husky) when I was a teenager in Montgomery, AL. The scooter was so slow that most of the dogs could outrun me. I started carrying a squirt gun with household ammonia in it. That took care of the problem in a hurry.
Hey, I know this thread is a bit old, but if it helps, I have noticed that dogs usually attack or chase if you go really fast. You can try it, pass by a dog walking and usually they don’t care, do the same running and that make some of them crazy… What I always do is going really slowly and it has worked even with wild dogs.
I agree, moving slowly definitely helps. When I was doing 25 miles on a trail near my house, I encountered some rather aggressive looking dogs (Not because of breed - their teeth were bared.) I considered speeding past them, but decided I could never get away if they ran at me, so I slowed to about 3 mph (In my opinion, rather difficult on a 36er, on such a bumpy trail as that was, focusing on two dogs, a bike lock in my left hand and a water bottle in my right) and they didn’t give me any trouble. Their teeth disappeared from my sight, and back into their mouths as I passed. Had they attacked I wouldn’t have had a problem, being that my group of bicyclists was only few hundred feet back… but they still frightened me.
Yes, usually slowing down helps, but actually the only time dog bit me was when I was going uphill and I was riding very slow.